Fishing nets in the flood season

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai rowed his boat out to the middle of the stream to remove the fish.

In that rhythm of life, there are silent, silent but persistent figures, those are the elderly who still work hard on the water, attaching their lives to the hooves covered in alluvium and memories.

60 years old, more than 20 years of living in Dau Tieng Lake, the upper Saigon River, the section flowing through Tan Khai commune, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai (originally from Dong Thap province) is now very familiar with the water here. When the water level is full, it is also the time when Mr. Hai begins his daily journey to make a living with the bamboo net that he has been attached to since his youth. For Mr. Hai, the net is not only a tool to make a living but also a confidant. He preserves the profession as if it were a part of his youthful memories.

Mr. Hai shared: The job of net fishing is not for the faint-hearted, because it requires health, patience and a lasting love for the river. In the dense early morning mist on Dau Tieng Lake, the net fishermen have to wake up when the sun is still sleeping, row the boat to the middle of the stream, one hand to remove the fish, the other to keep the boat balanced so it does not drift in the wind.

Each net is more than 20 square meters wide, placed deep in the lake bed, and must be pulled according to the time of high and low tide. In one day, Mr. Hai can pull the net dozens of times, making his back and hands tired, but he has never given up. For him, this is a job that is both the most strenuous and the most leisurely of all fishing jobs. It is strenuous because sometimes he has to stay up all night watching the tide, and the leisurely one is because he does not have to work far from home, and every morning he collects fish at the market to earn more money. The net-raising season is still considered the "money-making" season. According to Mr. Hai, the rainy season mainly has linh fish, white fish, catfish and tra fish. Catfish are about 4-5 fish/kg, tra fish are bigger, sometimes the family can pull a fish weighing tens of kilos. For a long time, the prices of fish have been relatively stable. Specifically, tra fish is 30,000 VND/kg, catfish is 100,000 VND/kg, linh fish is 120,000 VND/kg.

Not only Mr. Hai, in Tan Khai commune there are many other elderly people who have devoted their whole lives to the profession of catching fish nets. According to the Farmers' Association of Tan Khai commune, the whole commune has about 20 households living by catching fish nets and fishing nets. These households live mainly in the area around Dau Tieng lake. In order for households to work and exploit safely and legally, the Farmers' Association of the commune coordinates with hamlet officials to propagate that people exploiting and catching aquatic products must comply with legal regulations. It is strictly forbidden to destroy aquatic resources, aquatic ecosystems, and concentrated breeding areas.

Life will become more modern day by day, the nets will also gradually decrease over the years. But somewhere in the heart of Dau Tieng Lake, in the middle of the muddy alluvial waters, there are still silver heads persistently pulling the nets as if they are anchoring a part of the soul of the countryside, the soul of the people, with all simplicity, perseverance and love.

Hien Luong

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/202510/cat-vo-ca-mua-nuoc-noi-2d70cad/